Check it out: Parking inspiring prostate checks

A new stunt and video encourage men to keep early detection on their minds.

If you happen to notice stickers on the mouth of ticket holders in some of Toronto’s parking meters, take a closer look, they might make you think differently about a certain gland.

The stickers (200 of them, in fact) were placed there by Prostate Cancer Canada and FCB in an effort to get men to stop and to think about getting their prostates checked for cancer. The stunt is being further promoted with an online video, featuring spokesman and CFL legend and four-time Grey Cup winner, Damon Allen talking to parking meter users about the last time they got checked.

“All the research shows that a significant number of men fear getting their prostate checked,” said Heather Segal, VP strategic planning for FCB in a release. “We just want to show that it’s actually very easy, doesn’t take a lot of time, and that early detection saves lives. In fact, the survival rate is over 90% when detected early. It’s a really important message to get out there.”

We don’t mean to get testy, but we’d have to argue the level of “ease” that’s involved in getting a prostate checked. Having a stranger’s fingers inserted up one’s rectum is certainly no cake walk, but we can’t deny that this at least cleverly plants the seed around early detection in men’s heads.